Why was riel hung

It wished to dispose of the man who had led two uprisings in the countrys brief history. Of the six men on the Regina jury - only one spoke French. Prime Minister John A. Macdonald decided to charge Riel with high treason, based on an obscure British law dating to the year This law carried the death the penalty whereas Canadas treason law did not.

Trial began on July 20, It was a sweltering day made more oppressive by the hordes of people wanting to view the spectacle in Regina.

The city was packed with officials, lawyers as well as reporters from around the world. People lined up for hours outside the courtroom willing to pay ten dollars to watch the biggest trial in Canadian history. The trial lasted four days. He was elected in the federal riding of Provencher in a by-election in October But before taking his seat, he was expelled from the House on a motion introduced by the Ontario Orange leader Mackenzie Bowell.

Although re-elected in a constituency by-election in Provencher in September , Riel delayed in taking his seat and was later expelled from the House. On 12 February , the federal government adopted a motion granting amnesty to Riel that was conditional to five years of banishment from "Her Majesty's Dominions. Shortly after his exile, Riel suffered a nervous breakdown and his friends secretly admitted him to hospital , against his own wishes, at Longue Pointe in Montreal.

He was later transferred to the mental asylum at Beauport , Quebec. Riel consented, so long as his family could join them and that he would be able to return to Montana once things were settled in Saskatchewan. Riel conducted a peaceful agitation there, speaking throughout the district and preparing a petition. Non-Aboriginal farmers were also dissatisfied with their lot and took issue with low wheat prices, high freight costs and tariffs on farming machinery.

They were especially upset that their settlements were not reached by the new Canadian Pacific Railway. At a meeting on 8 March , Riel put forth a motion to create a provisional government for Saskatchewan.

While the motion did not pass at that meeting, a point "Revolutionary Bill of Rights" was drafted. On 6 July , a formal charge of treason was laid against Riel. On 20 July, his trial began in Regina. Riel, however, could not afford his own defence, and so his counsel was paid for by friends in Quebec , who likely had different motives than Riel. With the foreman in tears, the jury pronounced Riel guilty. While the jury recommended clemency, none was forthcoming. Both appeals were dismissed, but public pressure, particularly from Quebec, delayed execution pending an examination of Riel's mental state.

The three examining physicians found Riel "excitable," but only one considered him insane. Owing to questionable excisions, the official version of the report did not reveal any difference of opinion and the federal Cabinet decided in favour of hanging. Riel was executed on a public gallows in Regina on 16 November His grave, as well as his home, remain well-visited historic sites to this day.

Politically and philosophically, Riel's execution has had a lasting effect on Canadian history. Riel's execution remains a contentious issue, and demands for his retroactive pardon have been made on a number of occasions.

Riel has a number of statues commemorating him in his home province. In , Manitoba recognized him with a public holiday held annually in February. For many, Riel has become a Canadian hero, as he embodies many contemporary issues in the country — bilingualism , multiculturalism , tolerance for difference, a keen sense of social justice — than many of his contemporaries. However, writers often ignore that Riel was very cautious of the Canadian national project, seeing it as assimilatory as much as unifying.

Some migraineurs wound the rope around their temples to cure headaches, while those on the shady side of the law felt they could escape the executioner if they carried a bit of the rope that had done in somebody else. In Mr. Riel's case, officials also feared that rebels might turn the rope into a rallying symbol of their martyred leader. To thwart these souvenir hunters, the rope was "seized" by the sherrif and "destroyed," according to several contemporary reports.

Therein lies the difference between official and anecdotal history. She first noticed the small envelope covered in faded brown ink as a child, back in the late s. Inside were five or six pieces of twine, curled like a lock of hair. That is a piece of the rope that hanged Louis Riel. Before he died in May , Mr.

Roblin agreed to give the rope, which was always kept in the Victorian breakfront in the family dining room, to Le Musee de Saint Boniface. Still there were several things about the Roblin bequest that excited him.

Although the envelope has no stamp or postmark, the ink and the handwriting point to the late 19th century. Outside of the barracks some were disappointed they had not been allowed in.

Jokes were made, laughter heard. To Riel he revealed his identity. Had he any last messages? Yes, he had indeed. John A. Macdonald, I send you a message.